Premier League Darts Playoffs: Can the sensational Littler cement his legacy?
by Devesh Jaganath | by Devesh Jaganath
Luke Littler looking to let loose in London
Darts is supposed to be difficult, right? Well, that doesn’t seem to be the case for Warrington’s wonderkid Luke Littler, who is gunning for back-to-back Premier League trophies to join the legendary Phil Taylor and mighty Michael van Gerwen in successfully defending their titles.
The 18-year-old has looked head-and-shoulders better than the field this year, and is set to arrive at the O2 Arena as the red-hot favourite according to the best online betting sites to win the Premier League for a second season in a row.
Littler made mincemeat of his opponents during the league phase, smashing his own Premier League Darts season points record last week in Sheffield, while also setting a new record in the competition by securing a stunning six nightly wins.
En route to his sixth Night win, Littler took down Stephen Bunting and Nathan Aspinall in the quarter and semi-finals, respectively, before producing a clinical display against world number one Luke Humphries in the final, winning the match 6-3.
That victory took Littler to 45 points in the league phase, 11 more than his closest competitor, and sees him head to London as the top seed, set to face The Iceman in the first semi-final, and you can check out our Luke Littler vs Gerwyn Price prediction right away.
Littler’s incredible Premier League season
Littler will enter the semi-final with plenty of momentum, having produced truly incredible numbers during the league phase. Not only did he secure six nightly wins, but he also claimed 16 victories in 27 matches along the way.
The Nuke is the only player to average over 100 across the Premier League this season (102.43), while pinning 169 180s, which is astonishingly 68 more than next-best Luke Humphries’ tally. He also has a perfect nine-darter to his name this season.
The double-10 has been his go-to close again this year, but in fairness, Littler has been finishing very well all around the board, posting a checkout rate of 44.94% (204/454) - also the best in the competition during the league phase.
Price, in contrast, has delivered 71 maximums, less than half his opponent’s tally, and has a checkout rate of 38.06%. However, the Welshman has fared well against The Nuke, winning six of their last eight matchups, including two in this season’s Premier League.
Premier League Playoffs overview
The Premier League Playoffs will get underway at London’s O2 Arena on Thursday, May 29, with Littler taking on Price in the first semi-final at 20:15 (GMT). Cool Hand Luke and The Asp face off in the second semi-final, and our Luke Humphries vs Nathan Aspinall prediction is also available for you to take a look at.
| Matchup | Players |
|---|---|
| Semifinal #1 | Luke Littler (1) vs. Gerwyn Price (4) |
| Semifinal #2 | Luke Humphries (2) vs. Nathan Aspinall (3) |
| Final | Littler/Price vs. Humphries/Aspinall |
Unlike in the league phase, which is contested as a best-of-11 legs, the semi-finals will feature a best-of-19 legs, while the final is a best-of-21 contest. The winner will walk away with a staggering £275,000 in prize money, and the runner-up takes home £125,000. Beaten semi-finalists will earn £85,000 apiece.
It is widely expected that The Nuke and Cool Hand Luke will battle it out in the Grand Final, but the pair of Luke’s will still have to get the job done against The Iceman and The Asp, neither of whom will be in the mood to make it easy for the two front-runners.
